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A new academic year begins and with it some hope that the proposal for the Catholic Academy can be laid to rest. In the first school newsletter of term, Mr McAteer states:
The uncertainty regarding the future of the school has been removed, though one is never certain of anything in education.
However, an official response I received today from Parul Agarwal at the New Academies Division of the Department for Education shows that uncertainty remains:
The Government’s capital investment for the proposed academy project has been stopped, and any decision relating to the funding of capital investment nationally will be contained in the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) later this year. The Sponsors have indicated to the Department that they will wish to pursue the idea of an academy in Slough should the capital investment funding become available.
This proposal will be considered if the Sponsors decide to go ahead after the CSR decisions.
So, thanks to the Diocese and Slough Council, the academy proposal - zombie like - staggers on. For now at least, pending the results of the Comprehensive Spending Review, the proposal is at least lifeless.
The DfE later confirmed that it is the overall CSR of all government spending rather than the one that the DfE announced on 5 July 2010 that will determine the fate of the proposal. The results of the CSR is scheduled to be announced on 20 October 2010 - 11 days prior to the 31 October deadline for parents to apply for 2011 entry to St Bernard's.
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